The Grand Serail is the former seat of the governor of the Syrian city of Aleppo. It was built between 1928 and 1933 to serve as the main government building in the city. It was opened in 1933 during the period of the mayor Nabih Martini.[1]

The idea for the construction of a new government house came when the State of Aleppo was declared by the French General Henri Gouraud in September 1920. However, the construction started only in 1928, after the formation of the Syrian state under the French mandate. The serail was designed by the Syrian-Armenian architect Kegham Akgulian, and the construction was carried out under the supervision of another Syrian-Armenian engineer Kevork Baboyan.

The inauguration of the building took place on 15 April 1933 to become the house of the government in Aleppo and the regular seat of the governor and the mayor of the city. It served as the house of the government until 2008, when the new building of the Aleppo city council was opened.